Media orgs slam chilling Israeli 'warning' to six Gaza journalists

Media groups have slammed Israel's 'false claim' that six Al Jazeera Arabic journalists in Gaza are militants linked to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, with fears that more media workers in the besieged enclave could be targeted.

The Israeli army named all six men in a post on X and alleging they are linked to the Palestinian armed groups, offering no proof to back their claims and drawing strong condemnation from Al Jazeera, as well as international media and rights groups.

At least 123 Palestinian media workers have been killed by Israel since the war on Gaza began on 7 October 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, including a number of Al Jazeera journalists targeted in air and drone strikes.

On Wednesday, the New York-based CPJ issued a statement regarding the latest Israeli claims, highlighting the flaws in its previous allegations against Palestinian reporters.

"The Committee to Protect Journalists is aware of accusations made by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) against several journalists in Gaza accusing them of being members of militant groups," the group said on X.

"Israel has repeatedly made similar unproven claims without producing credible evidence. After killing Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail Al Ghoul in July, the IDF previously produced a similar document, which contained contradictory information, showing that Al Ghoul, born in 1997, received a Hamas military ranking in 2007 – when he would have been 10 years old."

It follows Israel's chilling warning to the Palestinians journalists on X.

"EXPOSED: 6 Al Jazeera journalists have been exposed as Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists," the army said in a post that included the pictures and names of journalists Anas al-Sharif, Talal Aruki, Alaa Salama, Hossam Shabat, Ismail Farid and Ashraf Saraj.

"The IDF has disclosed intelligence information and numerous documents found in Gaza confirming military affiliation of six Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza with Hamas and the Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations, including personnel tables, lists of terrorist training courses, phone directories, and salary documents for terrorists.

Al Jazeera, which has been repeatedly targeted by Israel during the war with its workers killed and West Bank office closed, strongly refuted the allegation.

"Al Jazeera categorically rejects the Israeli occupation forces’ portrayal of our journalists as terrorists and denounces their use of fabricated evidence," the statement said.

"The Network views these fabricated accusations as a blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region, thereby obscuring the harsh realities of the war from audiences worldwide."

In July, an Israeli strike decapitated and killed Al Jazeera's Ismail al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami Al Refeeat at the Al-Shatti refugee camp in northern Gaza. 

Al-Ghoul had previously been detained and released by Israeli forces during a raid on the Al-Shifa Hospital.

Journalists in Gaza, including those named by Israel on Wednesday, have reported receiving personal threats against their lives by Israeli intelligence services.

In May, Israel banned Al Jazeera from broadcasting and reporting within Israel, ahead of the Israeli army's assault on the southernmost Gaza city of Rafah. Israeli forces then raided the media network's office in the occupied West Bank and forced it to close indefinitely.

The Qatar-based news network has long been targeted by Israeli forces, including with the killing of veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by an Israeli sniper in the occupied West Bank in May 2022.

Following the latest veiled threats to the Al Jazeera media workers, the UK-based Arab Organisation for Human Rights highlighted that reporters on the ground in Gaza are already subject to hardships, many having lost family members and colleagues.

The group said that Israel has deliberately targeted journalists from the beginning of its "genocide" on Gaza, despite abiding to international protocols like wearing press vests and press jackets.

Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded more than 100,000, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Israeli forces have also levelled most of the coastal enclave to rubble, targeting civilian infrastructure like schools, hospitals and residential buildings.

In carrying out its attacks, Israel has claimed that the civilian facilities are used by Hamas militants, while also accusing international agencies like UNRWA of collusion with the Palestinian group, claims strongly rejected by the UN and NGOs.